British taxpayers fund trip to far-Right conference

British taxpayers are paying for Far-Right politicians to attend the first
conference aimed at creating an official worldwide alliance between extreme
nationalist parties.

Jean-Marie Le Pen is due to give a speech on FridayPhoto: AP

Danielle Demetriou in Tokyo and Peter Hutchison

6:17PM BST 10 Aug 2010

The three-day gathering, which is the first of its kind, is being organised by Issuikai, a Right-wing Japanese party which disputes the extent of the Nanjing massacre in China.

At least 100 representatives of far-right parties - including the BNP - from eight countries, are expected to attend the conference in Tokyo which will include a tour of the controversial Yasukuni Shrine to more than 1,000 Second World War criminals.

Jean-Marie Le Pen, the leader of France's National Front, is due to make a key-note speech at the conference on Friday.

It comes as fears over the growing popularity of European Right-wing groups increase following gains in national elections and the European Election of last year.

The Alliance of European National Movements, the coalition of Europe's Far-Right parties is sending 20 delegates to the Future of Nationalist Movements conference.

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Bruno Gollnisch MEP, the vice-president of France's Front National, is expected to attend along with members of Hungary's Jobbik party, which recently won 17 per cent in the country's general election, Vlaams Belang from Belgium, Portugal's Partido Nacional, and Italy's Fiamma Tricolore.

Adam Walker, a high-ranking member of the BNP who was accused of calling immigrants "savage animals" when he worked as a teacher, is representing the British National Party.

Issuikai is covering the delegates' accommodation, local transport, and food costs but those attending are to fund their own return flights to Japan, which often cost up to £1,000.

MEPs are entitled to a personal travel allowance outside their member country of up to 4,000 euros a year and many are thought to be using some of the money to fly to the conference.

Timothy Kirkhope MEP, Leader of the Conservatives in the bloc called for the European Parliament's auditors to investigate.

Matthew Elliot, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "This is yet another example of MEPs abusing expenses. It would be a disgrace for British taxpayers' money to be used to fund MEP's travel to a conference which is in part organised by a group that denies war crimes such as the Nanjing Massacre.

"Any money MEPs receive should be subject to more scrutiny and they should be more accountable to those who pay their salaries and expenses, they should not have free rein to use taxpayers' money to propagate abhorrent views like those of Issuikai."